Average User Rating

The GoodThe HTC One Google Play Edition's metal design is gorgeous. The phone's hardware and components are top-notch. The clean Android Jelly Bean UI is refreshingly simple, and Google promises a stream of fresh updates as they happen.

The BadThe HTC One Google Play Edition doesn't offer any of the extras found in HTC Sense. The handset's unsubsidized price is expensive.

It's got a bigger screen and works with Apple Pay. It lacks a battery boost, but it's...

Editors' note: For this review, I focused on how the HTC One Google Play Edition differs from the carrier-branded versions of the handset. For my complete assessment of the HTC One's design, features, and performance, please see the full review.

Though the HTC One is a stellar phone just as it is, I know that many Android purists would prefer that it shipped with Google's stock OS while forsaking all of the fancy tricks and glitzy software that HTC layered upon it. Fortunately, with the new $599 HTC One Google Play Edition, that day is here.

Using the same hardware and design as the 32GB GSM HTC One model, this unlocked handset runs pure, sweet Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, the freshest version available. Even better, Google has pledged that the HTC One Google Play Edition qualifies as a true Nexus device, so it will be first in line for future updates. It all sounds like a dream come true, but there are trade-offs for pushing HTC Sense aside. For example you can kiss goodbye all of the standard HTC One's slick camera features, such as Zoe Share, TV remote control, and BlinkFeed. If that's a price you're willing to pay for Android purity, though, besides a lot of cash up front, then this phone is worth a look.

The HTC One Google Play Edition is still one looker of a smartphone.
Sarah Tew/CNET

I've gushed previously at length about the HTC One's premium design. I won't bore you with all the gory details here, but suffice it to say, this phone's all-aluminum chassis is meticulously chiseled from one piece of metal. It's also polished with diamond brushes for that extra bit of panache. Basically your hand and reptilian brain know they're dealing with a gloriously crafted device the instant you pick it up. When your conscious mind catches up a few nanoseconds later, it all clicks into place.

The One's all-metal chassis is stunning to look at as well as hold.
Sarah Tew/CNET

The HTC One's 4.7-inch LCD screen is arresting as well, offering a sharp 1080p resolution (468 ppi) along with vivid colors. The display gets awfully bright, too, and you'll have no problem viewing it in bright sunlight.

Software and interface As I mentioned, the real star of this HTC One show is the stock Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system. If you've held the LG Nexus 4 recently, you'll feel right at home. That stock Android means a couple of things: the HTC Sense interface is completely scoured away and there's no BlinkFeed, the Flipboard-style news aggregator. The latter change will come as a relief to some since you can't remove BlinkFeed on the standard HTC One (you can only banish it to a far-flung home screen).

The lock screen is clean, simple, but bare.
Brian Bennett/CNET

In yet another change, the lock screen doesn't handily display upcoming calendar appointments, current weather conditions, or other info at a quick glance (a consequence of losing HTC Sense). On the other hand, plain Jelly Bean offers one additional home screen for a total of five.

Other navigation differences in the HTC One Google Play Edition include the side-scrolling application tray, which I actually prefer, as opposed to Sense's vertical app shortcut layout. I also like being able to access widgets from within the app tray, how Jelly Bean serves things up. Sense on the HTC One separates widgets out so you must perform a long-press on a home screen to grab them.

The 4-megapixel Ultrapixel sensor is still at the ready.
Sarah Tew/CNET

Camera While stock Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean brings many slight tweaks over HTC Sense, the most immediate changes I found affect how users operate the One's camera. Indeed HTC makes a lot of noise about the One's photo- and video-taking abilities, with its Zoe Share feature and Ultrapixel sensor. I have to admit these are bells and whistles I miss the most on this version of the HTC One. It's gimmicky, I know, but as a new parent, I love how the HTC Sense photo gallery files pictures and video I record around the date, what the application calls "events."

About The Author

Brian Bennett is senior editor for appliances at CNET and reviews a wide range of household and smart-home products. These include everything from microwave ovens, blenders, ranges and coffee makers to personal weather stations. An NYC native, Brian now resides in bucolic Louisville, Kentucky where he dreams of someday owning the sparkling house of the future.